Phrasal verbs (extended)

- with explanations and examples –

What are phrasal verbs?

1. A phrasal verb is a verb plus a preposition or adverb which creates a meaning

different from the original verb.

Example:
I ran into my teacher at the movies last night. run + into = meet
He ran away when he was 15. run + away = leave home

2. Some phrasal verbs are intransitive. An intransitive verb cannot be followed by an

object.

Example:
He suddenly showed up. "show up" cannot take an object

3. Some phrasal verbs are transitive. A transitive verb can be followed by an object.

Example:
I made up the story. "story" is the object of "make up"

4. Some transitive phrasal verbs are separable. The object is placed between the verb
and the preposition. In this Phrasal Verb Dictionary, separable phrasal verbs are
marked by placing a * between the verb and the preposition / adverb.

Example:
I talked my mother into letting me borrow the car.
She looked the phone number up.

5. Some transitive phrasal verbs are inseparable. The object is placed after the
preposition. In this Phrasal Verb Dictionary, inseparable phrasal verbs are marked by
placing a + after the preposition / adverb.

Example:
I ran into an old friend yesterday.
They are looking into the problem.

6. Some transitive phrasal verbs can take an object in both places. In this Phrasal
Verb Dictionary, such phrasal verbs are marked with both * and + .

Example:
I looked the number up in the phone book.
I looked up the number in the phone book.

7. WARNING! Although many phrasal verbs can take an object in both places, you
must put the object between the verb and the preposition if the object is a pronoun.

Example:
I looked the number up in the phone book.
I looked up the number in the phone book.
I looked it up in the phone book. correct
I looked up it in the phone book. incorrect

*split by a direct object (something)

act up behave or function improperly I think I need to take my car to the

mechanic because it's acting up
again.

add * up + calculate a sum I added up the receipts and it

totaled $135.46.

add up to equal an amount The total expenses added up to

+ $325.00.

add up make sense Her story doesn't add up. I think

she is lying.

ask * out invite on a date I can't believe that Joe finally

+ asked me out on a date!

ask * over invite to one's home Why don't we ask the Johnsons over
+ for dinner?

back down stop defending your opinion in a Jane never backs down. She always
debate wins arguments.

back out not keep (a promise, agreement,deal) Sam backed out at the last second.

back out not keep (a promise, agreement, deal) Sam backed out of the agreement at
of + the last second.
back * up give support You need examples to back up your
+ opinion.

back up move backwards, reverse Could you back up a little so I can

open this drawer.

bawl * criticize, reprimand (inf.) She bawled him out for arriving late.
out

bear down bite The soldier had to bear down on the

on + leather strap while the doctor
removed a bullet from the soldier's
arm.

bear down take strong measures against The U.S.A. is bearing down on drug
on + traffickers.

bear on + have to do with This information may bear on this

case.

bear up withstand I didn't think he would bear up so

well in that situation.

bear up withstand How did he bear up under such

under + extreme pressure.

bear with be patient Please bear with me while I fill out

+ the paperwork.

blow in visit unexpectedly (inf.) My cousin blew in unexpectedly with

his entire family.

blow over pass without creating a problem All this negative publicity will blow
over in a couple of weeks.

blow * up make explode;destroy using The terrorists blew the bridge up.
+ explosives

blow up explode The bomb blew up before they could

defuse it.
blow up suddenly become very angry When Joan heard the news, she
blew up and rushed out of the room.

break * analyze in detail We need to break this problem down

down + in order to solve.

break stop working properly The truck broke down in the desert.
down

break become mentally ill She broke down after her husband
down died.

break * in wear or use something new until it is I need to break these shoes in
+ comfortable before I go hiking.

break in interrupt While we were discussing the

situation, Terri broke in to give her
opinion.

break in enter a place unlawfully The burglar broke in between

midnight and 3 AM.

break in interrupt (a conversation) Jane broke in on the conversation

on + and told us to get back to work.

break into enter a house unlawfully The burglar broke into the house
+ between midnight and 3 AM.

break into interrupt (a conversation) Jane broke into the conversation

+ and told us what she knew.

break * end something Sally broke her engagement to John

off + off.

break out appear violently Violent protests broke out in

response to the military coup.

break out use something extravagant for He broke out the champagne to
+ celebration celebrate his promotion.

break out escape The murderer broke out of the

of + prison.

break * up break into pieces I broke the cracker up into pieces

+ and put it in the soup.

break * up disperse (a crowd), stop (a fight) The police broke the demonstration
+ up before it got out of control.

break up end a relationship Sam and Diane broke up again. What

a rocky relationship.

bring * cause to happen Democracy brought about great

about + change in the lives of the people.

bring * bring with When we go to the forest, bring

along + your wildlife guide along.

bring * change someone's mind, convince She doesn't want to go, but we'll
around someone eventually bring her around.

bring * learn or gain (from an experience) My trip across the Sahara was
away difficult, but I brought a new
appreciation for life away from the
experience.

bring * off succeed at something difficult or You robbed the bank! I can't believe
+ unexpected you brought that off.

bring * on cause something I can't believe she got so angry.

+ What brought that on?

bring * out highlight, stress Your new shirt brings out the color
+ of your eyes.

bring * bring to someone's house When you visit me, why don't you
over + bring over your son.

bring * to revive consciousness We used smelling salts to bring her

to after she fainted.

bring * up mention I didn't want to bring up the fact

+ that she was unemployed.

bring * up raise ( a child) Sam was brought up in South

+ Carolina.

brush * ignore something or someone (inf.) Mary brushed her ex-boyfriend off
off + at the party.

burn * destroy by setting fire to The children burned the house down
down + while playing with matches.

burn down burn until completely gone (building) Two buildings burnt down in the fire.

burn up be hot I am burning up in here - open the

window.

burn up consume by fire The papers were burned up in the

fire.

burn * up destroy by fire He burnt up the files.

+

buy * out buy the shares of a company or the Pacific Inc. was bought out by a
+ shares the other person owns of a company from Oregon.
business

buy * up + purchase the entire supply of We bought up all the beer in the
something store.

call for + require (as in a recipe) This recipe calls for milk, not water.

call * off cancel something They called the picnic off because
+ of the rain.

call * off order to stop (an invasion, guard He called off the dogs when he saw
+ dogs) it was his neighbor.

call on + visit Mark called on Naomi while he was in

town.
call on + invite someone to speak in a meeting Professor Tanzer called on Tim to
or a classroom answer the question.

call * up + telephone I called Sam up to see if he wanted

to go to the movies.

calm * make someone relax You can calm the baby down by
down + rocking her gently.

care for + nurse someone or something He cared for the bird until its wing
healed.

care for + like someone or something I don't care for sour cream on my
potato.

carry on + continue (a conversation, a game) Please, carry on. I didn't mean to

interrupt you.

carry on continue in an annoying way He kept carrying on about how much

about + money he makes.

carry on continue I want you to carry on with the

with + project while I am out of town.

carry * complete and/or accomplish The secret agent carried out his
out + something orders exactly as planned.

carry * continue on a subsequent day, page, The meeting carried over into lunch
over + etc. time.

catch on slowly start to understand (inf.) He caught on after a few minutes.

catch up make up for lost time I will never catch up. I am too
behind in my work.

catch up speed up to be at the same place as a I had to run to catch up with the
with + person or thing in front of you others.

catch up become up-to-date I need to catch up on world events.

on + I haven't seen the news in ages.
check back return to see if everything is OK We will check back tomorrow to
make sure the project is finished.

check by + go to a place to see if everything is We need to check by the office to

OK see if the documents are ready.

check for try to find They checked for termites before

+ they bought the house.

check in enter a hospital, hotel etc. They need to check in before noon.

check into enter a hospital, hotel etc. They checked into the hotel at 11:00
+ AM.

check into investigate, look for (often through a We are checking into discount
+ service) flights to London.

check * make a mark next to (an item on a Check each name off the list.
off + list)

check on + make sure something is OK Let's check on the baby again

before we go to sleep.

check * investigate, take a look at He checked out the new restaurant

out + down the street.

check out leave a hotel, hospital It's already eleven. We need to

check out.

check out leave a hotel, hospital We checked out of the hotel before
of + ten.

check * closely examine the condition of He checked over the old car to see
over + something if it was worth buying.

check up investigate someone or something The police are checking up on the

on + bomb threats.

check * send luggage through (to a Your luggage will be checked

through destination) through to Paris.
check with ask a person for confirmation He needs to check with his parents
+ before he goes.

cheer * up make someone feel cheerful The party really cheered me up.

cheer up become cheerful Cheer up. Everything will be all

right.

chew * up chew into small pieces The dog chewed up my shoe.

+

chop * fell/cut ( a tree) The lumberjack chopped the tree

down + down.

chop * up chop/cut into small bits He chopped the meat up into little
+ pieces.

clean * up tidy Susan cleaned the mess up before

+ she left.

clear out leave ( inf.) Everybody clear out! We're closed.

clear * up tidy Susan cleared up the mess before

+ she left.

close * close a place permanently The corner market closed down

down + because they didn't have many
customers.

close down close permanently The bar was closed down because
they served alcohol to minors.

close in on approach and threaten The rebels were closing in on the

+ capital, so the government called in
the army.

close * up close temporarily They are closing the ski resort up

+ for the summer.

close up close temporarily The ski resort is closing up for the

summer.
come occur / happen How did you idea for the book come
about about.

come discover by accident They came across some lost Mayan

across + ruins in the jungle.

come initially seem or have the appearance He comes across as rather rude, but
across + he isn't.

come along accompany someone If you want, you can come along.

come along accompany Sam came along with us to the

with + beach.

come along progress How's the research paper coming

along.

come along progress How are you coming along with the
with + research paper.

come away leave a place with a particular feeling I came away from the meeting
or impression feeling like the presentation was a
success.

come back return What time are you coming back?

come by get, receive How did you come by that new

+ Mercedes?

come by visit a person at their house I'll come by later this afternoon.

come down become sick with He came down with the flu.
with +

come into inherit He came into a large sum of money

+ when his aunt died.

come off fall off, break off The handle came off the suitcase
+ when I picked it up.
come out appear I didn't see the car at first. It
came out of nowhere.

come out reveal you are homosexual Sam finally came out last month.

come out turn out, end up The pictures came out great.

come out produce and distribute a product Microsoft is coming out with a new
with + video game system next month.

come over visit someone at their house Why don't you come over after work
for dinner.

come to regain consciousness Don't worry! She faints all the time.
She always comes to after a few
minutes.

come do what is needed or expected Terry really came through for us in

through the end.

come up to approach; to equal The job offer didn't come up to her

+ expectations.

come up produce or create (an idea, a plan) She came up with a great proposal
with + for the new advertising campaign.

come with include (an accessory) The computer system doesn't come
+ with a printer.

count * in include Did you count expenses in?

+

count on + depend/rely on You can really count on Sarah.

count * exclude You can count James out. He hates

out + playing poker.

count * up add Count the change up and see how

+ much we have.
crack down become tougher on, better enforce The police have been cracking down
on + laws on on drunk driving.

crack up laugh uncontrollably, laugh a lot When I told the joke, they all
cracked up.

crack up laugh uncontrollably about, laugh a lot I cracked up at his joke.

at + about

cross * draw a line through something, Why did you cross my name out on
out + eliminate the list?

cut down decrease the amount of You eat too much fat. You need to
cut down.

cut down decrease the amount of You need to cut down on your fat
on + intake.

cut in interrupt She suddenly cut in and delivered

the news

cut in on + interrupt She cut in on the conversation and

delivered the news.

cut * off interrupt someone while they were She cut him off before he said
speaking something he would regret later.

cut * off sever ( with a knife) His finger was accidentally cut off
+ in an industrial accident.

cut * out remove He cut the bone out of the steak.

+

cut * out stop an action Cut it out! You're bothering me.

cut * up + cut into small pieces He cut the beef up and put the
pieces in the soup.

die away diminish in intensity The applause died away after 5

minutes.
die down diminish in intensity The controversy about the
president's affair finally died down.

die become extinct Whales are in danger of dying off.

off/out

disagree cause to feel sick due to food or Spicy food disagrees with me.
with + drink

do away abolish Some Americans want to do away

with + with the death penalty.

do * over repeat You made many mistakes, so I want

+ you to do the report over.

do without manage without something one wants I couldn't do without a car in

+ or needs California.

draw * up create ( a contract) Let's draw an agreement up before

+ we go any further with this project.

dress * reprimand severely The mother dressed her son down

down for skipping school.

dress down dress casually I am dressing down because we're

going to a barbecue by the beach.

dress * up decorate You could dress this house up with

+ some bright colors

dress up wear elegant clothes She always dresses up at work.

drive * repulse The invaders were driven back by

back + the army.

drop in visit someone unexpectedly Meg dropped in yesterday after

dinner.

drop in on visit someone unexpectedly Let's drop in on Julie since we're

+ driving by her house.
drop out quit an organized activity Yuri isn't on the team any more. He
dropped out.

drop out quit an organized activity (school) It's difficult to get a good job if
of + you drop out of high school.

drop over visit someone casually Drop over any time you feel like
talking.

eat away gradually destroy, erode The heavy rains ate away at the
sandstone cliffs.

eat * up + devour Ken ate the cookies up.

eat in eat inside the home We usually eat in instead of going

out for dinner.

eat out eat outside the home They eat out once a week.

face up to acknowledge something difficult or I'll never be able to face up to my

+ embarrassing colleagues after getting so drunk
last night at the work party.

fall back be able to use in case of emergency Yuki can fall back on her degree in
on + biology if she doesn't succeed in her
acting career.

fall behind go slower than scheduled, lag Hurry up or you will fall behind!

fall behind go slower than scheduled, lag Cheryl has missed several days of
in + school and now she is falling behind
in her homework.

fall off decrease Interest in the project fell off

when they realized it wouldn't be
profitable.

fall out have an argument with I had a falling out with my sister
with + last month and we haven't talked to
each other since.
fall fail to happen Unfortunately, my trip to Indonesia
through fell through because I couldn't save
enough money.

feel * up grope She sued her boss for sexual

+ harassment after he felt her up.

feel up to have the energy to do something I don't feel up to going out tonight
+ because I had a long day at work.

figure on expect Where do you figure on living when

+ you move to the the U.S.A.?

figure * solve something, understand I finally figured the joke out. Now I
out + understand why everybody was
laughing.

figure * up calculate I need to figure my expenses up

+ before I give you an estimate.

fill * in + complete Don't forget to fill in all the blanks

on the application.

fill in substitute Who is going to fill in while you're

gone?

fill in for substitute for Miguel filled in for me at the

+ meeting yesterday because I was
sick.

fill * out + complete (an application) I filled out an application to rent

the apartment last week.

fill out mature, get breasts Now that you're filling out honey,
we need to get you a bra.

fill * up + fill to the top Fill the car up with unleaded gas,
please.

find out + discover You will never find out all my

 secrets!

find out discover Vicky's parents are going to be so

mad when they find out she got a
tattoo.

fix * up + repair, renovate, remodel My neighbors are fixing their house

up.

get * cause to be understood It's difficult to get humor across in

across + another language.

get ahead make progress I can't get ahead even though I

work two jobs.

get ahead surpass You need to work overtime in order

of + to get ahead of schedule.

get along have a good relationship Do you and your sister get along?

get along have a good relationship Giovanna doesn't get along with her
with + two brothers.

get around avoid someone or something Some people get around paying
+ taxes by hiring a good accountant.

get around go many places It's easy to get around town with
public transportation.

get away escape The bank robbers got away.

get away do something against the rules or My sister gets away with everything!
with + illegal and not get caught or punished

get by survive without having the things you I lost my job, so I am having a hard
need or want time getting by this year.

get by on survive with minimal resources It's nearly impossible to get by on

+ making minimum wage.
get by manage with You don't need a computer. You can
with + get by with the typewriter.

get down get serious about a topic Enough small talk. Let's get down to
to + business.

get in + enter ( a car, a small boat) Get in the front seat. You will have
more leg room.

get in enter Get in. I will give you a ride to

school

get * off send (a package) I finally got my sister's birthday

+ present off yesterday.

get * off remove ( a spider from your shirt) Can you get this spider off my
shirt?

get off + leave (a bus, plane, train, boat) We need to get off the bus at the
next stop.

get off leave It's dangerous to sit on the roof.

Get off!

get off idiomatic phrase - How does he Where does he get off saying that?!
justify saying that?!

get * on put on (clothes) You should get your jacket on

because it's going to be cold.

get on enter (a bus, train), mount (a horse, a The train is leaving. Quick, get on!
bike)

get on + enter (a bus, train), mount ( a horse, a Get on my bike and I will give you a
bike) ride home.

get on have a good relationship Natasha doesn't get on with her co-
workers.

get on have a good relationship Do you get on with your neighbors?

with +

get on continue an activity Now that the police have left, let's
with + get on with the party!

get out of exit (a small boat, car, an enclosed I fell into the water when I tried to
+ area) get out of the canoe.

get over + recover (a cold, a disease, an ex- Jennifer still hasn't gotten over her
boyfriend/ex-girlfriend) breakup with Peter.

get complete We will never get through all of

through + these boxes by 9:00 PM.

get penetrate We need a stronger drill to get

through + through this wall.

get penetrate The door was jammed, so we

through couldn't get through.

get finish Have you gotten through with your

through homework yet?
(with) +

get make contact It's hard to get through to Janet

through to because her telephone line is always
+ busy.

get * up cause someone to rise (from a sitting Ahmed got Abdul up at 5:30 in the
position or a lying position) morning by turning the music up
really loud.

get up rise (from sitting position or a bed) What time did you get up this
morning?

give * give something without asking for Why did Nancy give all of her
away + anything in exchange furniture away?

give * betray (a secret) We are having a surprise party for

away + Susan next Saturday, so don't give
 our surprise away by acting
suspicious.

give * return something you borrowed When are you going to give that
back + book back to your teacher?

give in stop trying Never give in! You can do it!

give off + release (a smell, light) That white flower gives off a
beautiful smell.

give * out distribute I earn extra money by giving out

+ brochures on the street.

give out become very tired (inf.) I hope this car doesn't give out in
the middle of the desert.

give * up + surrender something The police told the thief to give his
gun up.

give up surrender Never give up learning English!

go away leave I yelled at the dogs to make them

go away.

go back return When are you going back to your

house?

go by + go past, go close to, visit quickly We go by the coffee shop everyday.

go back on not keep (one's word, a promise) Don't trust him. He always goes
+ back on his promises.

go down decrease The cost of flight tickets is going

down.

go for + try to achieve Our team is going for the gold medal
in the Olympics.

go for idiomatic phrase - I am craving I could go for pepperoni pizza.

 pepperoni pizza.

go in for + participate ( inf.) Are you going to go in for soccer

this year at school?

go into + discuss in detail I really don't want to go into that

now.

go off explode The bomb could go off at any

moment.

go off begin, start (used with signals, The alarm clock went off at 6:00
alarms, warning sounds) AM.

go off stop (said of a machine) The DVD player goes off

automatically if you are not using it.

go off become angry Maria went off last night after I

told her about losing her bike.

go on continue Please, go on. Don't let me interrupt

you.

go on happen This place is a mess! What went on

here last night?

go on with continue ( a plan, a conversation) I think we should go on with the

+ meeting and stop wasting time.

go out stop burning ( a fire) The fire went out after three days.

go out take part in social activities (usually They love to go out every Saturday
at night) night.

go over + review Do you usually go over your notes

before class?

go over be well received, succeed That didn't go over well.

go through examine in detail, study carefully I need to have my lawyer go through

+ this contract before I sign it.

go through endure; experience challenges, She has gone through so much in her
+ difficulties or traumas life.

go through continue or proceed despite I have decided to go through with

with + difficulties or fears the operation.

go with + match (clothing) That shirt doesn't go with those

pants.

go with + accompany a person I am going with Alejandro to the

party.

go with + have a boyfriend/girlfriend I am going with Yuri.

go without abstain from something you want or A person can go without water for
+ need three days.

grow under go out of business The restaurant went under after it

lost its liquor license.

grow up mature Your brother needs to grow up and

start thinking about his future.

hand * return Is the teacher going to hand back

back + our tests today?

hand * pronounce formally The president is going to hand his

down + decision down on health care
tonight.

hand * give as an inheritance When my clothes got too small for

down + me as a child, I handed them down
to my sister.

hand * in submit I have to hand in an offer by March

+ 12.

hand * out distribute We should hand the concert fliers

+ out at school.
hand * relinquish control of Hand your car keys over. You're too
over + drunk to drive.

hang stay in a place for fun ( inf.) Maria and Salvador usually hang
around + around the beach after school.

hang stay in a place for fun Those guys just hang around all day.
around

hang * up suspend (clothes on a hanger) You can hang your jacket up in the
+ front closet.

hang up put down the telephone receiver Don't hang up. I'm going to change
phones.

hang out + stay in a place for fun (inf.) Let's go hang out at the mall
tonight.

hang out stay in a place for fun What are you doing? - - I'm just
hanging out.

have * on wear Do you have your hiking boots on?

+

have * invite guests to your home Why don't we have Mr. and Mrs.
over Jones over for dinner tonight.

hear from receive news from (a letter, an e- Have you heard from Steve lately?
+ mail)

hear of + know about something or somebody Have you heard of chocolate

covered ants?

hit on + find on accident I hit on the idea while watching the

Simpsons show.

hit on + flirt with Jay's friend Marc was trying to hit

on my sister last night.

hold * restrain The police held the demonstrators

back + back while the politicians entered
 the building.

hold back not allow to advance in school The teacher held Frank back a year,
so he couldn't enter fifth grade.

hold * off restrain Mr. Johnson held the dog off while
+ we crossed the yard.

hold off delay We should hold off on making dinner

on + until your parents arrive.

hold on grasp tightly Hold on tight! The roller coaster is

about to take off.

hold on tell someone to wait on the telephone Hold on a minute. I'll get Carol.

hold on to grasp tightly Make sure you hold on to the hand

+ rail as you walk down the stairs.

hold out not give in, continue to resist Stop holding out and tell us where
you found all of these old records.

hold out not give in, resist They held out against enemy attack.
against +

hold * up delay (a flight, traffic); The accident held traffic up for an

+ hour.

hold * up rob (a bank, a person) with a weapon Five men held the bank up
+ yesterday.

hook * up make the electrical connections Can you hook up the fax machine for
+ required for a machine or information me?
service

iron * out eliminate We need to have a meeting this

week in order to iron out the
distribution problems.

jack up + to raise We need to jack up the car before

we change the tire.
joke to be humorous Mike is always joking around at
around work.

jump in enter a conversation Feel free to jump in at any moment

while we are talking.

jump to + make a quick, poorly thought out You shouldn't jump to conclusions.
decision

keep * have handy, have accessible I always keep a dictionary around to

around translate new words.

keep at + not give up (an activity), to persevere You should keep at your studies.

keep * prevent access to, hold back Keep the kids away from the
away cookies.

keep * maintain a safe distance, cause to Keep back! The burning building is
back maintain a safe distance about to collapse.

keep * not vomit, not throw up, keep in one's If I ate that, I down know if I could
down stomach keep it down.

keep * in keep in a particular place, have When I am not using it, I keep my
something in a specific location passport in this drawer.

keep * off prevent from stepping or climbing on Keep the cat off the couch.
to something

keep on continue He kept on talking after everybody

asked him to stop.

keep * out prevent from entering Keep the dog out of the garden; he
keeps digging up the flowers.

keep * cover something with, put something I keep a tarp over my bicycle at
over above night to prevent it from getting wet.

keep to + continue, persist in (an activity) Everybody said she would never
finish the puzzle, but she kept to it
until it was done.
keep up stay on the required schedule You have to keep up if you want to
work here.

keep * up continue You are doing a great job! Keep it

+ up.

keep up stay on schedule with (a person, the I have so much reading that I can't
with + workload, homework) keep up with the writing exercises.

kick back sit or lie back (to relax) After work, I like to kick back in
front of the TV and relax.

kick in begin taking effect The medicine takes one hour to kick
in.

lay away save for the future Why don't you lay away your
+ wedding outfit?

lay down + establish (laws, rules) Lori lays down the law in her class.
English only!

lay in on + scold or criticize severely My mom really laid in on me when I

got home at 4:00 in the morning last
night.

lay into + scold or criticize severely I saw Reto's mom lay into him when
he came home late last night.

lay * off + suspend someone from a job (during a The company was losing money, so
slow period) they had to lay off 100 workers.

lay * out + arrange Why don't we lay the pieces of the

table out before we put it together.

leave * out not include, omit Why did your parents leave you out
+ of their vacation plans?

let * down disappoint I felt let down when I didn't

receive a birthday card from my
sister.
let * down lengthen (pants in sewing) My uncle is a tailor, so he can let
your pants down.

let * out release I am happy my brother was let out

of prison early.

let * out make bigger (in sewing) I need to let out this skirt because
I have gained weight.

let up weaken in intensity I told her NO a thousand times, but

she won't let up.

lie down rest, recline I need to lie down before we go out

tonight.

lie down on rest, recline ( on a couch, bed) I'm going to lie down on the sofa for
+ a while.

lie with + be decided by Whether or not you can go to the

party lies with your father.

light * up illuminate Let's get some candles to light this

+ room up.

light up + to smoke Do you have to light up another

cigarette? I thought you were
trying to cut down.

live * down live in a way that a shameful or Jose will never live down singing
+ embarrassing event is forgotten that song at the karaoke bar.

live on + survive from I could live on bread and cheese.

live up to keep a standard It would be hard to live up to her

+ parent's expectations. They are so
demanding.

look after take care of (a child, a house, a pet) When my sister goes on vacation, I
+ look after her dog.

look back to remember nostalgically When I look back on my childhood, I

on + often feel angry.

look down see as inferior She's so conceited. She looks down

on + on everybody else.

look for + to seek or search for I'm looking for my keys. Have you
seen them?

look anticipate with pleasure I am looking forward to traveling to

forward to New York next year.
+

look into + investigate The police are looking into the

murder.

look on observe as a spectator Everybody just looked on as the two

men fought.

look out be careful, pay attention, heed a Look out, there's a black widow
certain danger spider on the wall.

look * over examine, review When I'm camping, I look my shoes

+ over before I put them on.

look * up + search for (in a dictionary) I takes time to look up new

vocabulary words.

look * up + locate and visit If you ever travel to California, you

should look me up.

look up to respect, admire someone He looks up to his father.

+

make * out decipher I can't make out your handwriting.

What does this say?

make * out write a check or other document Who should I make this check out
+ to?

make out succeed He really made out in the stock

market last year.
make out progress How is your son making out in his
new job?

make out kiss passionately I saw Benno and Isabelle making out
in the movie theater last night!

make out kiss someone passionately Did you make out with Sally?
with +

make * do again The teacher made me do my

over homework over.

make * up invent ( a story) Don't believe anything she says. She

+ always makes things up.

make * up complete what was missed Fortunately, my professor let me

+ make up the exam I missed
yesterday.

make * up put on cosmetics I takes me 10 minutes to make my

+ face up.

make up reconcile You two have been friends for so

long that I think you should make up.

make up compensate for Allen made up for being late by

for + getting me flowers.

mix * up + confuse I sometimes mix the verb tenses up.

mix * up + blend We need to mix up these different

kinds of nuts before we put them in
a bowl.

mix * up + make lively (a party) Let's mix up this party with a little
disco music.

name * name a child using another family I was named after my grandfather.
after + member's name
nod off fall asleep The movie was so boring that I
nodded off before it was finished.

nose sneak around I hate it when my mother noses

around + around my room.

occur to + pop into one's mind, come to one's It didn't occur to us that we had
mind left the iron on.

open up share feelings I'm glad that John feels

comfortable enough around me to
open up.

out to + try to She is out to get revenge now that

verb her husband left her for another
woman.

pan out be successful, turn out well The trip to Vegas didn't pan out.

pass away die After battling cancer for several

years, he finally passed away at the
age of 87.

pass * off try to convince someone that He tried to pass the fake watch off
+ something is real as a real Rolex.

pass * on transmit Please pass this message on to your

+ co-workers.

pass on + not accept (an invitation to eat or do Jennifer passed on the invitation to
something) join us for dinner.

pass on die I am afraid Professor Johnson has

passed on.

pass * out distribute We need to pass out these flyers

+ for the concert tomorrow.

pass out become unconscious He passed out because the room was
too hot.
pass * up not take advantage (of an I can't believe she passed up the
+ opportunity) opportunity to study in Rome.

pay * back repay If I loan you money, will you pay me

+ back.

pay * off complete payment on a debt It took me ten years to pay off my
+ credit card debt.

pay * off to bribe Don't try to pay the police officer

+ off if you get pulled over for
speeding.

pick on + to tease, bully She keeps picking on me! Make her

stop.

pick * out choose Diane picked out a lovely dress for

+ the dance.

pick * up + to lift an object with the hands Keep your back straight when you
lift the TV up.

pick * up + come and get someone in a car What time are you going to pick me
up.

pick * up + learn something without effort It's possible to pick up enough

English in two weeks to get by on
your trip to Los Angeles.

pick * up + try to initiate a relationship with Some weird guy tried to pick
someone (often in a bar) Patricia up at the bar.

pick up grow, increase (inf.) Business is really picking up this

quarter.

play * make less important (inf.) The President played down his
down + affair with the intern.

play * up highlight something (inf.) She played up her part in the new
movie, but it was actually a very
small role.
play up to flatter someone for your personal She has been playing up to the boss
+ advantage because she wants a promotion.

point * out indicate I'd like to point out that figures in

+ column two might be outdated.

pull down earn He pulls down about $300,000 a

year.

pull in park (a vehicle) Mark pulled in too quickly and

crashed into the wall.

pull out depart (a vehicle) Our train pulls out at 8:00, so don't
be late.

pull barely survive I didn't think she was going to make

through it, but she pulled through in the end.

put * communicate (an idea or suggestion) I thought Ms. Smith put her ideas
across + clearly so that it is understood across rather clearly in the meeting.

put * away return to the proper place of storage I told you kids to put your toys
+ away.

put * down insult, say bad things about She always puts down people who
+ don't share her opinions.

put in + officially submit a request (in the He put in for a transfer to the
armed forces or public services) division in Los Angeles.

put * off postpone Don't put off your work - do it now!

+

put * on + wear Make sure you put on a sweater

before you go outside.

put * on + deceive I didn't believe a thing he said. I

think he was putting me on.

put * out extinguish (a fire) Don't use water to put out a grease
+ fire.
put * out inconvenience someone I don't want to put you out, but
+ could you pick me up at the airport.

put out + spend (usually used with unreasonably I can't put out that much money
large sums of money) each month.

put * up have a guest stay in your house for a Can you put me up while I'm in town.
short time

put up tolerate Sandy will not put up with smoking in

with + her house.

quiet * be quiet, or cause to be quiet The neighbors told us to quiet down

down + last night or they would call the
police.

read up on research a topic for a reason I need to read up on the company

+ before I go on the job interview.

ring * up telephone Jack rung me up last night at 3:00 in

the morning.

rule * out eliminate I wouldn't rule out the possibility of

+ moving to another country if I get a
good job offer.

run across find or meet unexpectedly I ran across some old photos while I
+ was cleaning my house.

run against compete in an election Gore ran against Bush in the 2000
+ elections in the U.S.A.

run away leave home permanently before you The child ran away because her
are a legal adult parents beat her.

run away escape from The child ran away from its parents.
from +

run * down trace Have you run down those phone

numbers I asked for last week?
run * down criticize My boss runs everyone down.

run * down hit with a car My dog was run down by a bus.

run down loose power, be very tired You need to wind your watch so it
doesn't run down.

run for + campaign for a government position Gore is running for president of the
U.S.A.

run into + meet unexpectedly I ran into my English teacher at the

movies last night. She's so nice!

run * off make leave The new government is trying to run

+ the drug traffickers off.

run * off reproduce (photocopies) Would you mind running off 10

copies of this document for me?

run off leave quickly Why did you run off after the
party?

run off waste water You shouldn't swim where the

sewage runs off into the ocean.

run out of not have any more of something We ran out of milk this morning, so
+ we need to go to the store.

save * up accumulate (money) I hope I will be able to save up

+ enough money to go to school.

see about arrange or consider something My dad said he was going to see
+ about buying me a car.

see * off say good-bye to someone at the Did you see your sister off at the
beginning of their trip (at the train station?
airport, train station)

see to + make sure something happens, I'll see to it that Mr. Ramirez gets
arrange your message.
see * finish something despite difficulties Are you going to be able to see your
through studies through now that you have a
baby?

sell * out tell on someone My partner in crime sold me out for

a reduced jail sentence.

set * up arrange a relationship My mom set me up with her friend's

son.

set * up falsely incriminate a person I don't think he killed those men.

Somebody set him up.

set up + arrange (an appointment, a I set up an appointment with my

meeting,etc.) doctor at 3:30 this afternoon.

settle on + make a decision after a period of I settled on the job at the oil
time company.

settle up pay one's debts We need to settle up before you

move.

show * off show to everybody with a lot of pride He always shows off his new things.
+

show off boast, draw attention to oneself Young boys show off in order to
impress girls.

show * up make someone seem inferior He's always trying to show up his
co-workers in order to get ahead.

show up arrive without previous notice I hadn't seen my cousin for years,
and all of a sudden, he showed up at
my workplace yesterday!

shut * off stop from functioning If you don't pay your electric bill,
your power is going to get shut off.

shut * up make quiet Would someone shut him up! He's

talking so loudly that we're going to
get in trouble.
slow * make move more slowly Because Mary's level in English is
down + lower than the rest of the students,
she slows the class down.

slow * up make move more slowly Because Mary's level in English is

+ lower than the rest of the students,
she slows the class up.

spell * out to explain something in a detailed way He's so stupid that you have to spell
+ so that the meaning is clearly everything our for him.
understood

stand by wait I need you to stand by and answer

the phone when my broker calls.

stand for represent SCUBA stands for "self contained

+ underwater breathing apparatus."

stand for tolerate I won't stand for people criticizing

+ me.

stand out be very noticeable Soledad is so beautiful! She really

stands out in a crowd.

stand * up not arrive to a date or an I arranged to meet Joe at the

appointment (inf.) library at 8:00, but he stood me up.
I hope he has a good excuse.

stand up defend (something one believes in) Every individual must stand up for
for + what they believe in.

stand up defend oneself against someone or I think you should stand up to your
to + something older brother and tell him to stop
pushing you around.

stay over spend the night at a person's house It takes you so long to take the bus
home, so why don't you just stay
over?

stick it to severely criticize a person (inf.) My boss really stuck it to me when I

+ arrived late to work for the third
time this week.

stick to + persevere, keep trying Even though English is a hard

language to master, you must stick
to it!

stick up defend oneself or opinions Joseph joined the army because he

for + believes he must stick up for his
country.

take after resemble a parent or relative I take after my father. Who do you
+ take after?

take * remove, seize or capture The soldiers took the captives away.
away +

take * retract something you said I demand that you take back what
back + you said.

take * return an item to a store The dress my grandmother bought

back + for me didn't fit, so I took it back
and exchanged it for a pair of pants.

take * write down what is said Would you mind taking down my
down + messages while I am on vacation?

take * remove (from a high place) The city government made the shop
down + take down their bright, neon sign.

take * for consider, view as Do you take me for an idiot?

take * in + learning Are you taking in all of these

phrasal verbs?

take * in + deceive a person He was taken in by the con artist.

take * in + make smaller when sewing I lost weight, so I need to take

some of my skirts to the tailor to
have them taken in.
take * off when a plane or rocket leaves the My stomach felt funny when the
ground plane took off.

take * off remove In many cultures, it is appropriate

+ to take off your shoes when
entering a house.

take * off leave work or school for a period of I was sick last week, so I took a few
+ time days off of work.

take off leave We took off after dinner.

take on + accept (responsibilities, work) She has taken on too much

responsibility in this project.

take * take control of Who is going to take over the family

over + business when Aretha's father
dies?

take over take control of If the President is assassinated, the

Vice-president will take over.

take * out accompany a person on a date (for I can't meet you tonight because I
+ dinner, the movies) am taking Fernanda out to dinner.

take * up begin a new hobby Have you taken up any new hobbies
+ since you moved here?

take * up discuss (at a later date) We should take this issue up in the
+ meeting tomorrow.

take * up shorten a garment when sewing This dress is too long, I am going to
+ take it up.

take up + occupy space This couch takes up too much space

in the living room.

talk back respond in an impolite way to an adult Don't talk back!

talk back respond in an impolite way to an adult Children should not talk back to
to + their parents.
talk * over discuss I hope my parents talk their
+ relationship problems over before
they get divorced.

tear * destroy The county decided to tear down

down + the dilapidated school and build a
new one.

tear * up tear or rip into small pieces I always tear up my personal papers
+ before I throw them out.

tell * off criticize a person severely, reprimand Carolina told me off when she found
+ (inf.) out I was gossiping about her date
with Martin.

tell on + report a crime to the police or bad Every time I did something wrong
behavior to a parent when I was a child, my sister would
tell on me.

think * consider Think over the offer before you

over + sign the contract.

think * consider carefully You need to think this through

through + carefully before you make a
decision.

think * up create or invent a false story I need to think up an excuse for not
+ going to her party.

throw * discard Don't throw away those bottles; we

away + can recycle them.

throw * discard I asked him not to throw out the

out + Sunday newspaper because I wanted
to save an article.

throw * remove by force from (a room, Mary threw out her roommate
out + school, a house, etc.) because she stopped paying rent.

throw up vomit If you drink too much alcohol, you

might throw up.
tie * up + tie securely When we dock, make sure you tie
the boat up.

tire * out cause someone to be very tired Speaking English all day tires me
out.

touch on + talk about for a short time The presidential candidates touched
on the subject of health care during
the debates.

touch * up make the final improvements We didn't paint the whole kitchen,
we just touched up the cabinets.

try * on + put on to make sure a piece of Try on the pants before you buy
clothing fits them.

try * out test Try out this massage chair - it feels

great!

turn * refuse to deal with or give service They turned us away at the border
away because we didn't have visas.

turn * change or reverse direction Turn the car around and go back
around home.

turn * refuse an offer; reject an application She turned down the new job in New
down + York, because she didn't want to
move.

turn * lower the volume or intensity of a TV, I'm studying! Please turn down the
down + radio, or other machine TV.

turn * in submit You need to turn your essays in next

week.

turn in go to bed (inf.) It's getting late. I think it is about

time to turn in.

turn into become something different, When she kissed the frog, it turned
+ transform into a handsome prince.
turn * off stop the function of (a stove, a water Don't forget to turn off the iron
+ faucet, a car, etc.) before you leave the house.

turn on + attack unexpectedly The pit bull suddenly turned on the

small child.

turn * on cause to be excited sexually Scientists have discovered that the

smell of cinnamon turns many people
on.

turn * on start the function of a TV, a radio, a Turn on the TV. The baseball game
+ machine starts in a few minutes.

turn * out produce The weavers can turn out two or

three rugs a month.

turn * out switch off a light Turn out the light before you go to
bed.

turn out audience members to a function Over 100,000 people turned out for
the concert.

turn out end up being She turned out to be the murderer

after all.

turn * give to authorities (said of evidence They turned the wallet over to the
over or stolen / lost property) police.

turn * up increase the volume or intensity of a Turn up the TV. I can't hear what
+ TV, radio, or other machine they're saying.

turn up find unexpectedly My keys turned up in the bedroom.

if someone turns up somewhere, they Alex turned up late, as usual.

arrive at that place You can just turn up and buy a ticket
on the door.

use * up use all of something I used up all of the soap, so we need

to buy some more.

veer away stay away from, avoid I veer away from the same old
from + summer blockbuster films.

wait on + serve, service (a table) Each waitress waits on three

different tables in the restaurant.

wait up not sleep because you are waiting for Don't wait up.
something or someone

wait up not sleep because you are waiting for Let's wait up for Mary to see how
for + someone or something her date went.

wake * up awaken someone The car alarm woke me up at 6:00 in

+ the morning.

wake up awaken Wake up. It's time to get ready for

work.

wash up clean oneself Make sure you wash up before

dinner.

wash * up clean If we work together, we can wash

+ the kitchen up in a few minutes.

watch out be careful Watch out - there's a rattlesnake!

watch out be careful of Watch out for snakes while you are
for + hiking in the desert.

wear off disappear after a period of time The affects of the medicine will
wear off after a few hours.

wear * out use until something is not useable If you wear the same shoes
anymore everyday, you'll wear them out.

wear * out cause to be very tired Her three kids wore me out.

wind up + finish (inf.) If he doesn't get his act together,

he is going to wind up in jail.

wind * up tighten the spring of a watch or He wound up the toy dog and set it
+ similar machine on the floor.

wind * up cause an animal or a child to behave The kids always get wound up when
+ wildly Uncle Henry comes over.

wipe * out massacre or destroy The tidal wave wiped out the small
+ fishing village.

wipe * cause to be very tired After surfing all day, I was

out completely wiped out.

work * out solve I hope you two can work out your
+ problems.

work out exercise I work out three times a week at

the fitness center.

work out be successful I am glad your new catering business

is working out.

write * record Write down the directions so you

down + don't forget them.

write * write down every word or letter He wrote out the lyrics so I could
out + understand what the singer was
saying.

write * up prepare a report He wrote up a business proposal in

+ order to get a loan.

yak on to continue talking in an annoying way He just yakked on and on and on.
("on" can be repeated for emphasis)

yak on to continue talking in an annoying way She just yakked on and on about her
about + about something ("on" can be husband's new job.
repeated for emphasis)

yammer on to talk in an annoying way or complain They yammered on and on and on.
("on" can be repeated for emphasis)

yammer on to talk in an annoying way about He just yammered on and on about

about + something or complain about ("on" can how horrible the waiter was.
be repeated for emphasis)

zero in on discover, pinpoint I think I have zeroed in on what has

+ been causing the problem.

zip around move quickly from place to place I zipped around town after work
+ today.

zone out stop paying attention He zoned out during class.

zonk out fall asleep Jill was so exhausted after taking

the TOEFL test that she zonked out
before dinner.

zoom in focus You need a telephoto lens to zoom

in.

zoom in on focus on something, pinpoint She zoomed in on his face while

+ taking the picture.

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